


Colors

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4089016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick changed his uniform from blue to red. Damian wants to know why. Sometimes, he thinks Grayson just says things to be annoying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Colors

**Author's Note:**

> Another hella old one. Could be a spiritual sequel to 'Change in Command' if you want it to be. This is fucking stupid, I hope you all enjoy it.

“I don’t understand.” 

Dick turned, seeking out the source of the pouting voice. It took him a few seconds, but he located it. Damian was halfway down the cave stairs, hands stuffed tensely in the pocket of his hoody. 

Dick smiled. “We talked about this, buddy. Bruce is here now, and it’s only fair that you-” 

“I’m not talking about that,” Damian snapped. Dick knew the kid didn’t want to talk about it at all, if he had the choice. It was a situation he wasn’t used to, and he was still trying to prepare himself for the change. Damian looked like he was about to continue down the steps, but didn’t move. “I just…Father said your persona was blue. That _Nightwing_ was blue.” 

“Nightwing isn’t a color, Damian.” Dick laughed, waving the boy down. Damian didn’t react. Dick shrugged and turned back to the mirror. He could still see his now-former partner behind him, though a little shadowed. Dick raised his hand to his chest, brushing his fingers across the crimson splash. “But yeah, Nightwing was blue. Now he’s not. Life’s full of change and all that.” 

“Why the change, then?” Damian inquired. 

“It’s kind of hard to explain.” Dick’s smile turned dreamy as he tilted his head. “Wouldn’t really make sense to anybody but me.” 

Damian scoffed. Dick glanced up as the boy crossed his arms. “Try me.” 

“Blue means freedom. Or to me, blue means freedom. If you recall, Nightwing and all that came about when I stopped working strictly for the Batman.” Dick dropped his hand, smacking against the Kevlar underneath the uniform. “I don’t think I’m very free anymore.” 

“Nonsense.” Damian sighed. His descending footsteps echoed throughout the rocks. “You are the most free of all of us. You always have been. As much as you and Father care for each other, there is nothing he could ever do to force you to stay, or to even come back. Not if you didn’t want to.” 

“It’s got nothing to do with Bruce, kiddo. But you’re right. Bruce couldn’t make me come back if I didn’t want to.” Dick shifted to hit against the armor on his legs. “But you could, I suppose.” 

Dick moved his eyes up just in time to see Damian halt in his tracks a few feet away. For a few seconds, Damian’s face was the most open Dick had ever seen, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The look disappeared as quickly as it came, Damian’s eyes narrowing. “Explain, Grayson.” 

“What can I say? I worry about you.” Dick stood up and spun around to face his brother. “And just because I’m not going to see you every day anymore doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly _stop_ worrying about you. If anything, I’ll worry _worse_.” 

Damian snorted and crossed his arms again, rolling his eyes as he turned away slightly. “Ridiculous. Now that Father has returned to us, I am in his custody, therefore no longer your concern.” 

“Right, just like Tim is no longer my concern. Or Jason.” Dick sat down on the nearby bench, patting the space next to him. This time, Damian agreed, plopping down next to him. “Custody or not, you’re still my brother. And more than that, we were partners. And partners _always_ worry about each other, no matter what. Or am I just supposed to forget about that now?” 

Damian’s arms were still over his chest, and Dick saw the tightening of his muscles as he slouched. He tossed his hand across the boy’s shoulders. 

“You’re not a _thing_ to be passed around.” Dick muttered. “I know this is going to be hard, and I know Bruce is never the easiest to deal with. I’m…afraid of how he’s going to be, that he’s going to treat you like he treated the rest of us – and he shouldn’t, because you’re probably the best Robin there’s been thus far.”

 “Better than Drake, for sure.” Damian hummed. 

“Sure,” Dick chuckled. He squeezed Damian’s shoulder. “You know I’m not leaving you, right? No matter where I am, or what I’m doing, if you need me, I’ll come back.” 

“I won’t need you,” Damian assured. “If anything, I think _you_ will need _me_.” 

“Of course. But just in case. There’s probably going to be a few days where I just…drop in to see you for no reason. Probably _more_ than a few, actually. Perhaps I should tell Alfie to keep my room up…” Dick pondered. Damian huffed in annoyance. After a moment’s pause, Dick pulled Damian to his side. “I’m going to miss you though, buddy.” 

“Watch out, Grayson. Your sentimentality is showing.” Damian drawled. 

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, Damian.” Dick grinned. 

“And that’s a stupid reason to change a major component of your uniform.” Damian glanced up, eyebrow raised. Dick laughed loudly and nodded as he stood. “What’s the real one?” 

“The real reason?” Dick went back in front of the mirror. He put his hands on his hips and turned his hips. After a second, he shrugged. “I just look real good in red, don’t you think?”


End file.
